River of Bones
by Okori Yo
Summary: The Doctor takes a small trip to Germany and meets a killer.


Rain dripped from the roof of an abandoned warehouse, signalling that the spring shower that had soaked Hanover just moments before had ended. The run-down building was quiet, as it's animal occupants took a moment to make sure the coast was clear before darting out to look for food. A rat bounded from it's hole up on top of a whisky barrel, whiskers quivering as it sniffed the top. Finding nothing, it made to leap to the ground; but froze as a strange sound filled the air.

In the darkest corner of the sagging structure, a light began to flash, and the mechanical sound got louder. Beady eyes wide, the rodent watched in amazement as a blue box materialized into the space, the blue light on top filling the entire warehouse with light. Suddenly realizing that the box might be a threat, the rat whirled around and shot back to the safety of it's hole, peering out to see what happened next.

For a moment, nothing did, then the door opened and a man emerged. The newcomer was dressed in a battered leather jacket, navy jumper, black jeans, and a pair of dark-coloured shoes. Blue eyes scanned the empty space, but found nothing of interest. Sighing, he strode to the doorway and peered out into the April evening. Spying a crumb on the floor that the man had dropped, the rodent scurried out and sniffed at it curiously. Finding it edible, the rat picked it up and devoured it, ignoring the human. The man had turned at the sound of claws scraping the floor, and he smiled at the creature before walking out into the damp German streets.

- - -

The Doctor stuffed his hands in his coat pockets, ignoring the slight chill. He had left Rose with Jack back in present day New York, allowing them to have a little break before continuing travelling. Unlike them, the Time Lord felt that he had to keep exploring, so he had left them after assuring them he would be careful. He had landed in Hanover, Germany, on April 3, 1924.

Wandering the streets of the city, the Doctor found himself walking along the banks of a large river. Recalling his vast knowledge of history, he realized that this was the Leine River. Pausing the gazing into it's murky depths, the man noticed something white on the bottom. Crouching down, he squinted to get a better look in the fading light, then gasped. Sticking out of the mud was a human skull, the empty eye sockets staring blankly upwards. What was a human skull doing here?

Hearing a dry chuckle, the Doctor stood up and was about to turn around when something hit him hard on the base of his neck. So much for being careful, he thought as he sank to the ground, unconscious.

- - -

A crow flew in the sky above the German city, following the trail the Leine wove through the place, landing in a tree next to a old stone apartment complex. The bird was about three stories up, and the perch allowed it to see into the room next to the branch. Cawing, the crow flapped it's wings as the lights suddenly went on inside, revealing two men. The older of the pair had a stubby moustache and was dressed in a suit. The other man was unconscious and had been dumped on a couch.

Setting his hat on a peg hammering into the wall, the man grinned down at the still form of the other one, running a finger along his jaw and down along his throat. The motion seemed to make the other man come around, as he blinked, grimaced in pain and glared at his assaulter.

The bird was distracted from the scene before it by having a raindrop land on the tip of it's beak. Glancing skywards, the crow saw that another downpour was on its way, possibly lasting the rest of the night. Alerted by a sudden movement in the room, the bird looked into the room again, but saw nothing except the curtains the man had pulled shut.

- - -

The Doctor groaned as he opened his eyes, the pain in his neck extraordinary. His vision was blurry from the hit, so he blinked a few times, the room coming into focus. Standing over him was a man, probably in his late forties. Blue eyes glared at him as his attacker chuckled once again, walking over to pull the cheap curtains closed.

Sitting up, the Doctor rubbed at his neck, willing the pain away. "Who are you?" he asked, keeping his gazed locked on the man in the suit. Cold eyes stared back, something menacing in their gaze. Grinning, the stranger sidled over and leaned down, muttering, "Call me Fritz. You got a name?"

"I'm the Doctor." the Time Lord replied, feeling edgy. Something wasn't right with this situation, but he couldn't figure out what. Swallowing, he attempted to get up, but Fritz blocked his path and pushed him back onto the couch. The smile turned into a sneer as he snarled, "Well then, Doctor, I think it's time for some surgery! How about having your throat torn out?" The man grinned evilly, leaned down to stare the Doctor in the eye.

The Time Lord stared back, mind racing. Realizing who his kidnapper was, the man groaned inwardly. The maniac standing in front of him was none other than Fritz Haarmann, nicknamed the "The Butcher of Hanover" for murdering at least 24 people between 1919 and 1924. Fritz killed people by biting through their throats. If he had his dates right, the Doctor was about to become number 25 if he didn't do something fast. There was one thing he could do…

Licking his lips, the Doctor gave a nervous grin before replying. "Surgery on my throat? Er, I'd prefer a hair replacement, thanks. But, I notice one of your teeth is rotten. Before you kill me, want me to pull it out? I _am_ a Doctor after all."

Haarmann's eyes narrowed as he thought about the offer. Chuckling, he nodded, saying with a smirk, "Well, why not? Think of me as your last patient." Kneeling down, the serial killer opened his mouth, keeping a close eye on the Doctor's actions.

Grinning, the Time Lord reaching into his jacket and produced the sonic screwdriver, flicking the device on. Narrowing his eyes to choose the exact location, the Doctor carefully inserted the tool into Fritz's mouth, giving the tooth in question a slight tap. As the tip of the device made contact, the man shuddered and fell sideways, twitching in pain.

Plucking the tooth from the floor, the Doctor twirled the sonic screwdriver between his fingers and pocketed both items. Along with getting the tooth out, he had cause all the nerve endings in Haarmann's body to short out, effectively making him unable to move.

As he headed out the door, the Doctor called back. "The thing is, most of my patients end up dead. See you in the afterlife, Fritz."


End file.
